The Color Never Fades
by angellwings
Summary: "It may not be the best one. It may not be like the rest of them, but she makes it sound so sweet. The melodies she makes it sing on her red guitar." Jaitlyn.


**A/N: **Kris Allen's CD has been inspiring me a lot lately. First it inspired a Jonas story, and now it's inspired a Camp Rock story. Hopefully you'll be able to tell what song I based it on by the end of the story. But I'm not going to directly tell you until then. Enjoy!

* * *

The Color Never Fades

By angellwings

* * *

Jason always knew _of_ Caitlyn. It was hard not to. She was, after all, her own very unique person. He'd thought of her as colorful, loyal, and feisty. He remembered Shane saying he'd seen her rocking out on the keyboards at a jam and really enjoyed it. He also remembered being impressed by the improvements Mitchie told him Caitlyn made to "This is Me." There was no doubt she was talented, but he had never prepared himself for just _how_ talented she was.

The day she had blown his mind had started just like every other day at camp. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Nate wanted to work on a new song. There was definitely nothing odd about that. Nate, Shane, and himself had reached one of the rehearsal cabins only to find it occupied. According to the sign up sheet Caitlyn was inside and she would be done in 5 minutes.

But what Jason heard didn't sound like keyboards at all. It sounded like a guitar. It was a unique and beautiful sound. It sort of warbled with vibrato like his grandmother's singing voice. It was beautiful, wise, and mature. He closed his eyes and tried to picture the guitar she was playing. He was astonished when he couldn't figure it out. It didn't sound like any guitar he'd ever heard before. It was wholly unique. Not unlike Caitlyn herself.

The music stopped and, a few minutes later, Caitlyn stepped through the door with her guitar case in hand. Jason's shoulders sagged at the sight of the case. He had really wanted to get a look at that guitar. He decided that would be his new mission. From then on he made a point to be the next to use the rehearsal cabin after Caitlyn. He would show up very early and listen, and, finally, after weeks of listening to her play he saw it.

His eyes had widened and he realized he was even more impressed with Caitlyn. It was clear that _she_ was the one responsible for the sweet singing of that guitar. This guitar had been through hell. There were knicks, scrapes, and scuffs. The strings were cheap, and the strap was frayed. But what struck him the most was the bright red color. Yes, Caitlyn had a bright red acoustic guitar. The paint was chipping, but the color hadn't faded. He'd never seen anything like it.

It was amazing how Caitlyn could have a guitar that was so much like her. One of a kind, rough around the edges, and yet sweet and beautiful. He suddenly realized that Caitlyn was giving him a strange look.

He heard her chuckle, "Should I just leave you alone with my guitar, Jase?"

He laughed nervously, "I just…I've never seen anything like it."

Caitlyn looked a little embarrassed, "I know its beat up, and a little warped but—"

"No, I love it. Its one of a kind," He told her honestly. _Kind of like you_, he thought to himself.

Caitlyn smiled brightly, "It was my grandfather's. My dad gave it to me for my birthday last year. He offered to buy me a different one to play since this one was so beat, but I really adore the sound of this guitar. I mean you have to know how to play it just right but once you do—"

"It sings?" Jason asked knowingly.

Caitlyn nodded eagerly, "Exactly!"

They shared soft smiles, and Caitlyn cleared her throat, "Well, I'd better go. I'm supposed to meet Mitchie at the Canteen for a snack. I'll see you later though?"

Jason nodded, "Yeah, um, actually could I join you in the rehearsal cabin tomorrow? I was wondering if I could maybe—"

"Play Red?" Caitlyn asked.

Jason smiled warmly, "You named it Red?"

Caitlyn chuckled, "It's obvious yet fitting. And you can totally play him tomorrow if you'd like."

"Red's a him?"

"Yeah, I sort of think of him like Red on 'That 70's Show'. Cranky, but deep deep down he's a softy," Caitlyn said with a grin.

Jason smirked, "Sounds perfect to me. So I'll see you here tomorrow?"

Caitlyn nodded and the two said goodbye. Jason went through the rest of the day in good mood like no one had ever seen before. He kept getting strange looks from Nate and Shane. Mitchie had even asked him if he'd had any Red Bull.

"Seriously, dude," Shane asked with an amused grin. "What is _up_ with you?"

"Just had a good day that's all," Jason said. Mitchie smiled at him as he began to hum a tune.

"That's Caitlyn's song," Mitchie pointed out. "She hasn't played it for that many people yet. Where did you hear it?"

"She's been playing it in the rehearsal cabin all week. I hear it as I walk up," Jason said. It was a slight twist on the truth. He'd actually hung around outside so he could listen to her guitar, but they didn't need to know that. He wasn't quite sure if what he'd done was creepy or not.

"It's good right? She doesn't believe me when I tell her," Mitchie asked.

Jason had to think about it for a moment. He'd never really listened to the melody just the sound of the guitar, but now that he replayed the melody in his head Mitchie was right. It _was_ a good song. It was a _great_ song.

"Well, I'll tell her what I think tomorrow when we meet in the rehearsal cabin," Jason smiled.

"You're meeting Cait?" Mitchie asked excitedly. "What are you guys going to do?"

"I'm, um, going to play her guitar," Jason said reluctantly. He really didn't think the others would understand.

"Red? Really? Compared to your guitars that one can't be that impressive. Why do you want to play Red?" Mitchie asked curiously.

How would he explain this? He took a breath and considered how to answer.

"I like guitars with…character. Some people like well lived in houses or broken in jeans, I like well played guitars. They have an air of history to them that I like," Jason said with a far off expression. Nate and Shane smiled at their friend in amusement. They already knew this about Jason and it was something they had learned to appreciate.

Mitchie smiled, "That's sweet, Jason. Really."

Jason said nothing and returned to his dinner. He didn't know what was sweet about it. It was just something he liked. Old guitars intrigued him. To Jason the dings and scratches made the instrument sound fuller. The conversation thankfully moved away from Caitlyn and himself. Jason much preferred to sit silently at the table and think to himself. A part of Jason still couldn't believe that Caitlyn had opted to keep AND play that guitar. Most people wouldn't have refused a newer guitar, but Caitlyn did. It certainly earned her some points with him.

Jason arrived at the rehearsal cabin early the next day. It was more out of habit, even though he was very excited. Caitlyn flashed him a smile as she approached. Jason motioned for her head inside first and then he followed her in. He shut the door behind them and then turned to watch her as she unpacked the guitar.

He smiled softly as she gently cradled the guitar and pulled it slowly from the case. She really treasured this guitar, and he completely understood why. She handed the guitar over to Jason and he quickly situated himself on a stool so he could play. Caitlyn smiled encouragingly at him before pulling out her sheet music and pouring over it intensely.

Jason wanted to focus on playing the guitar in his hands, but he kept glancing over at Caitlyn. He could tell she was having problems with the song. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were pursed. She looked adorable. Caitlyn looked up as a chord he was trying to play suddenly went sharp. Jason looked away from her quickly and back down at the guitar.

"Something wrong, Jase?"

"No, no. You just looked like you were having trouble. Anyway I can help?"

She glanced at her music and then back at him nervously, "I don't know. It's not finished so I'm not sure if it's any good."

"…could I take a look?" Jason asked warily.

Caitlyn bit her lip and nodded. She crossed the distance between them and handed Jason the music. He could tell she was nervous. Before he even looked at the music he reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Cait, you've got nothing to worry about. You're very talented."

She smiled half heartedly at him and mumbled a thank you. He debated between pursuing Caitlyn's reaction and looking over her music. He decided to look at the music and then come back to Caitlyn's moment of insecurity. The lyrics were incomplete but what she had so far was nothing short of brilliant.

"Caitlyn," He said with a slow warm smile. "This is…amazing."

"Really?" She asked.

He said nothing but gave her a look that clearly told her he wouldn't lie to her about that or anything else for that matter, "You have to finish this."

She chuckled, "I'm trying to."

Jason nodded and stood up. He placed the guitar in Caitlyn's arms, "Play it."

"Play it?" She asked.

"I want to hear you play it, and…sing it."

"I don't know about that, Jase."

"I do," He smiled. "Sing it."

Normally Caitlyn wouldn't have responded very well to that phrasing, but Jason hadn't said it like it was a command. Jason was pleading. He desperately wanted to hear her sing it. She scratched the back of her neck and nodded hesitantly, "Okay."

Caitlyn and Jason switched places. Caitlyn took the stool and Jason stood a few feet away. She began to play very softly at first, but as the intro progressed her playing became louder. She closed her eyes and sang the lyrics that she had completed. Jason marveled at how well her voice matched the guitar. It was a perfect fit. Her voice was haunting and beautiful yet so unique. The song finished and Jason watched as Caitlyn drew in a long nervous breath. He smiled warmly as she looked up at him worriedly.

"Why don't you sing more often?" He asked.

She shrugged, "I'm not sure I like my voice."

"But…it suits you! It's sweet and haunting and…beautiful," Jason told her excitedly.

Caitlyn blushed, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," He responded.

"Actually I think singing it TO someone may have helped. I think I know what I need to do to finish it," Caitlyn told him brightly. "Would you mind meeting here tomorrow too so that I can play you the second draft?"

"I would be honored," Jason said with a beaming smile.

"So, same time tomorrow then?' Caitlyn asked hopefully.

Jason nodded, "Same time tomorrow."

The next day Caitlyn came back with a second draft, and then insisted the song deserved a third. Day after day she would insist she could make the song better, but Jason didn't mind. If it meant he got to spend time with Caitlyn then she could write as many drafts as she wanted. No one seemed to understand him the way she did. Even when he began to space out she got it. She would pat his hand and offer him an amused understanding smile. When he made a comment that was maybe a little too naïve or hopeful she would smile like it was the best thing she'd heard all day and say, "I hope you're right, Jase. I really do." And he knew she meant it. She wasn't just saying that to avoid saying the truth. She really _wanted_ him to be right. There was no one else like her, and he was pretty certain that he had fallen completely and totally in love with her.

He was completely taken aback when she abruptly entered the cabin several weeks later and shoved the newest draft in his hands. He glanced at her in confusion, "Everything okay?"

She sighed, "That's yours."

His brow furrowed, "Caity, this is _your_ song. You wrote it."

"Yeah, for you. I wrote it for you. I mean it didn't start out that way, but that's what it turned into," Caitlyn explained. "So that song is yours to do whatever you want with it."

He smiled at that, "You wrote it for me?"

"It didn't start out that way, but the more time you and I spent together in this cabin the more I realized what was happening. Look at those lyrics," She told him. He glanced down at the music and then back at her. "Are those lyrics anything like the original lyrics that I sang for you?"

Jason smiled softly, "They're completely different."

"Exactly," She said softly. "The song is now about you. So, you can do what you want with it."

"What I want is to have you sing it to me," Jason told her warmly.

She smiled, "Again?"

"Like you said, these lyrics are completely different. I think I deserve to hear it," He smirked.

Caitlyn smiled and pulled out her guitar. She played the song again and Jason listened carefully. It made him wonder how Caitlyn felt about him. He watched her play and also wondered if she knew how much he loved to listen to her play that beautiful guitar. When she finished Jason decided it had been long enough. He wanted to know if she felt any of what he felt. He walked toward her quickly and gently pried the guitar out of her hands. He carefully put it away for her and then turned back to face her. He reached out a hand and caressed Caitlyn's cheek.

"Hi," He said simply.

"Hi," Caitlyn said with a grin as a blush spread across her cheeks.

"So, I'm gonna kiss you. Is that okay?" Jason asked.

"It's more than okay," Caitlyn answered as she put a hand on the back of Jason's neck and pulled his lips down on top of hers. Jason's hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Caitlyn smiled against his lips just before the kiss deepened. When they both felt short of breath they pulled apart. Jason rested his forehead against Caitlyn's and smiled.

"Can we keep your song just between us?" He asked.

Caitlyn inhaled deeply and grinned, "It's up to you."

"Then that song is just for us," Jason told her. "And your red guitar."

* * *

**A/N: **So if you don't know yet. The song is "Red Guitar" by Kris Allen. It automatically made me think of Caitlyn and Jason. Look it up and give it a listen. It's amazing!


End file.
